This disclosure generally relates to electrostatic discharge protection devices of integrated circuits (ICs).
Electrostatic discharge (ESD) events can cause serious damage to electronic components including ICs. During an ESD event, a large amount of heat is generated in a small area requiring its rapid removal to prevent any harm to the IC. An ESD event is an instantaneous build up of a substantial electrical potential, generally caused by direct or indirect contact with an electrostatic field. An ESD event that is harmful to an IC can be caused by various factors including contact with a human or machine such as testing equipment or other electrical components that are not properly grounded. ESD protection devices are incorporated into various electronic devices in order to prevent or reduce damage to ICs.
The trend towards smaller and faster circuits have increased an integrated circuit's susceptibility to ESD events and the complexity of designing effective ESD protection devices.
Illustrative embodiments will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In the drawings, like reference numerals generally indicate identical, functionally similar, and/or structurally similar elements.